“The fight for justice for all immigrants is part of a larger racial justice movement that demands full equality and investments in the communities of Black people and communities of color”
Washington, DC – Monday, June 15, marks eight years since President Barack Obama announced the creation of the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) program in a Rose Garden speech. The policy, which conferred work permits and protection from deportation to immigrants who came to the United States as children, has become one of the most popular successes in the legacy of the Obama administration.
It’s important to remember, though, that DACA was not a “gift” given to young immigrants. It was a hard-fought and hard-won victory, in a decade-long campaign led by the very people whose lives were on the line.
This month, the U.S. Supreme Court is set to issue a ruling that will determine whether DACA stays in place for the time being, or is allowed to fall away and take with it the protections so vital to so many lives.
Giovana Oaxaca, Government Relations Associate with NETWORK Lobby for Catholic Social Justice and Interfaith Immigration Coalition DACA Co-Chair, said: “The organizing and advocacy that brought us DACA and the American Dream and Promise Act tapped into a groundswell of support for young undocumented Black and brown immigrants that lives to this day, and that Trump’s attacks have failed to extinguish. Millions mobilized across the country to demand change locally and nationwide, ultimately culminating in the announcement of DACA, after many sit-ins, rallies, and vigils. However, the impermanence of DACA is a reminder that the immigration and criminal justice system still have flaws that bear down disproportionately on Black and brown immigrants, and which need reform. The fight for justice for all immigrants is part of a larger racial justice movement that demands full equality and investments in the communities of Black people and communities of color.
“The energy we are witnessing today around the movement for Black Lives is a reaction to the systemic racism that has for too long oppressed Black people, and treated Black, indigenous, and people of color as second-class. DACA was a measure of relief, but it has never been clearer: more work remains.” Giovana is a DACA recipient.
“Congress needs to protect DACA recipients. Eight years is a long time to live in uncertainty. This has been compounded by instability and fear due to the constant attacks on DACA by this administration. DACA allows recipients to continue the fulfillment of their God-given potential in their homes without fear of detention and deportation. It is more than a work permit. Black and Brown immigrants including over 700,000 DACA recipients are targeted daily by a xenophobic immigration enforcement system. Over 10,000 Black DACA recipients and thousands of Black undocumented youth are even more vulnerable because immigration enforcement works in tandem with deadly, racialized over-policing practices of law enforcement,” said Peniel Ibe, Policy Engagement Coordinator with the American Friends Service Committee.
“On this, the eighth anniversary of DACA, we remind the Supreme Court, President Trump, the Republican-controlled Senate, and all Americans that #HomeIsHere for DACA recipients,” added Faith Williams, Associate Director, Government Relations & Advocacy, National Council of Jewish Women, Inc. and Interfaith Immigration Coalition (IIC) Co-Chair. “As we reckon with the call from Black communities to affirm the Black Lives Matter conversation happening in our streets and around our dinner tables, movements led by directly-impacted people are the only way to real and lasting change. Whatever the Supreme Court rules and President Trump does, our faith-based institutions will continue to follow the lead of DACA recipients and stand beside them as allies, as the campaign for justice and full citizenship continues.”
The Interfaith Immigration Coalition is made up of 55 national, faith-based organizations brought together across many theological traditions with a common call to seek just policies that lift up the God-given dignity of every individual. In partnership, we work to protect the rights, dignity, and safety of all refugees and migrants.
Follow us on Twitter @interfaithimm
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